Relationship Between Self-Perceived Health, Vitality, and Posttraumatic Growth in Liver Transplant Recipients

• Main Authors: Jesús Funuyet-Salas, Agustín Martín-Rodríguez, Mercedes Borda-Mas, María Luisa Avargues-Navarro, Miguel Ángel Gómez-Bravo, Manuel Romero-Gómez, Rupert Conrad, María Ángeles Pérez-San-Gregorio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-06-01
• Series: Frontiers in Psychology
• Subjects: liver transplantation; posttraumatic growth; self-perceived health; vitality; patients
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01367/full

Our objective was to analyze the differences in posttraumatic growth in 240 liver transplant recipients based on two factors. First, self-perceived health: better (Group 1 = G1) and worse (Group 2 = G2). Second, vitality: more (Group 3 = G3) and less (Group 4 = G4). The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, SF-36 Health Survey (Item 2) and SF-12 Health Survey (vitality dimension) were used. Firstly, analyzing main effects recipients with better (G1) compared to worse (G2) self-perceived health, showed greater posttraumatic growth. Interaction effects were found on essential posttraumatic growth domains such as new possibilities (p = 0.040), personal strength (p = 0.027), and appreciation of life (p = 0.014). Statistically significant differences showed that among transplant recipients with worse self-perceived health (G2), those with more vitality had higher levels on abovementioned posttraumatic growth dimensions. However, in transplant recipients with better self-perceived health (G1) respective dimensions were not significantly influenced by the level of vitality. Among the recipients with less vitality (G4), those with better self-perceived health showed higher scores on abovementioned posttraumatic growth dimensions. We conclude that positive self-perceived health might compensate for a lack of vitality as well as a high level of vitality may compensate for negative self-perceived health regarding the development of crucial aspects of posttraumatic growth after liver transplantation.